Quay change

NEW housing developments usually get a mixed reception. Some Icoals welcome them as an opportunity to move to a better home, others see them as the cause of unwanted pressure on school places and doctors' surgeries as well as the cause of increased traffic and parking competition.

- By Deborah Stone

Reaction to the regeneration of Wirral Waters in Merseyside has been more pint half-full than empty and that's thanks to the ripple effect of benefits to Birkenhead and other communities on the south side of the River Mersey, opposite Liverpool.

The recently completed build-to-rent Millers Quay development at Wirral Waters has delivered 500 homes on brownfield land, including 100 affordable new apartments. Derelict dockland has been transformed by the development, giving public access to the waterfront.

It's also provided 1,000 jobs, mostly for the local workforce, as well as work experience for students from the Wirral Met College's Construction Campus - so the reaction to this on-going regeneration project has been mostly positive.